After ending his stint with the Indian team following the England tour, T Dilip reflected on Virat Kohli’s influence in the field.
He added that Kohli’s intensity was contagious, and there weren’t a lot of differences in him in the practice session.
The 37-year old Virat Kohli remains one of India’s most reliable fielders, and former fielding coach T Dilip believes the biggest value he brings to the field is the effect his intensity has on everyone around him.
Currently active only in ODI format, Virat Kohli returned to India’s tour of England, where he looked sharp as ever in the field. He was regularly involved in the action, diving, chasing the ball and staying switched on even when the play moved away from him.
Virat Kohli is considered one of the greatest fielders, such as Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, and Jonty Rhodes.
Virat Kohli has 344 dismissals for India across formats, nine more than Rahul Dravid. In ODI, the only international format he continues to play, he has taken 169 catches – the most by an Indian fielder.
“When it comes to Virat Kohli, intensity is non-negotiable. You have seen him in the powerplay, how he is as a batsman, whether at cover or short mid-wicket, with his reflexes and with his dives, is admirable. Even in the last series, he was putting in those dives and was sharp, always at you all the time,” said JioStar.
“Even at this juncture of his career, he runs from long-on to long-on at either end during the death overs, and he is the first one to run out of the circle when the field is spread, and that’s a fabulous thing to do for the team,” he added.
“But what impressed me more is not just the actions, what he does when the ball is at him, but also when the ball is not near him, he wants the ball in his hands.
“With Virat Kohli, there is not much difference between him in a practice session and a match, because it’s not just Virat; it’s the five other players who have stretched their limits when they are fielding with Virat Kohli. That’s the influence he brings into the group.”
The idea was to ensure that fielding was valued across the team, including by players who might not find themselves in the obvious hotspots.
“What I thought was to recognise the overall impact as a fielder rather than just a spectacular catch. But what it brought in was that all the 11 players on the field, who may not be in the hotspots, had a feeling inside them that ‘A little contribution would get me that award.’
“That positive competition among the group had started, and, automatically, players started to notice even small things while being on the field. They celebrated when their other teammates did something exceptional.
“And that was a huge factor for me because, at the end of the day, the fielding medal is a team award. The players embraced it, fans supported it, and fielding got the recognition it deserved the most.”
The medal became a popular feature of India’s dressing room celebrations, particularly during the 2023 ODI World Cupwhen Dilip used creative ways to announce the winner after matches.